The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Laser processing is becoming a competitive alternative to media blasting and chemical solvents for stripping coatings from parts and vehicles. Examples of vehicles that need to have the paint periodically stripped and reapplied include aircraft and naval vessels. Removing paint from vehicles and metal parts is often done with solvents or media blasting. But solvents create excessive chemical waste, and media blasting can damage aluminum. However, lasers can remove individual coating layers without damaging the aluminum. Other applications for laser coating removal include mold cleaning, graffiti removal, and oxide removal from metal parts.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to determine the elemental composition of materials. In this technique, a laser is used to deliver enough energy to the surface of a material to ignite plasma. As the plasma cools, the composition of the material can be determined from the intensity of characteristic atomic emission lines.